One of Us Is Lying

This is YA mystery, but I quite enjoyed it. I did not figure out who did it, but I did guess some of the secrets before they were revealed. It was a really good book!

Genre: Mystery / ThrillerVibes: 🏫🔍💀📱🤐💔🕵️‍♀️Rating: 3.75⭐Tropes: multiple pov / high school drama / whodunnitI think I'm officially identifying as a mystery and thriller girlie. IDK why it's taken me so long to get to this book on my TBR. I did read and listen to this at the same time -- the narrators of the audio book are perfectly cast and helped me envision the story better. I've never watched the tv show, but now I might have to for more thriller fix.I partially predicted the "whodunnit" because I've watched enough Criminal Minds but it was enjoyable to hear how the stories and the relationships between the four suspects grows.

I think I went off on the wrong foot with this book; I wrongly and mistakenly assumed that this book wasn’t for me – boring, full of high school dramas and teenage angst which, to tell the truth, were not my thing at the moment.It indeed took a while for this book to grow on me. As I mentioned earlier, except for the first chapter where Simon, a notorious gossip mastermind of Bayview High, mysteriously died from a severe peanut allergy, I spent a huge chunk of the first half frustrated and feeling detached from the story. I knew the book was in the middle of build up, but what I thought endless, too detailed descriptions about the four suspects – the four students – and their backgrounds and emotional conflicts were a bit too much for me. I was expecting more of the mystery – whodunnit – elements (as this book is supposedly YA mystery), definitely NOT high school dramas involving drama kings and drama queens where they whine and go on and on about what they have done wrong. To be honest, I wasn’t remotely interested in such kind of stuff. It may sound harsh, but I was pretty close to giving up on this book.But I didn’t want to.So I tried to throw all my preconceived ideas about this book and start over with a clean slate, seeing this book as a mere YA contemporary rather than a YA mystery.And I’m glad to say, it worked. It actually took me another 20% of the book to get me fully invested in this book, it worked nonetheless. I think it was where a big secret of the Mr. Nice guy was finally out and how it leads to a debacle of his future, friendship and familial relationship. The grim undertone reeled me in the story in the true sense of the word – for the first time – and I realized this book might call for readers in the right frame of mind and being patient. Your opinions might differ from mine and you may have been hooked by this book straight away, but it wasn’t the case for me. It needed me to read this book with the same approach that I usually take when reading YA contemporary/romance.Anyways, from then onwards, I found this book pretty unputdownable; I enjoyed all the elements in this book. Friendship, budding romance, suspicion, and emotional struggles and guilt from what they have done. Such elements are really well-integrated and gelled with the main plot, and I definitely enjoyed the thrills and excitement as I was inching towards the end, as I got closer to the revelations to the whole plot.Although I might have made this book out to be devoid of the mystery elements earlier, it isn’t true. The disturbing and mysterious ‘Tumbler’ posts which were not ought to be published because of Simon’s death certainly got me curious to know who actually killed Simon. Was it either of the four students? Or is there an accomplice??The plot twist which I didn’t see it coming took me by surprise but this book doesn’t end there – there’s actually another important key to this murder case and I thought it was really well done. I read the last 30% in one sitting – I was kept on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t put it down.The characters, especially the main four characters are all well-fleshed out. Their issues, secrets and consternation from unexpectedly embroiled in the murder case are well delineated with the solid writing and alternating multiple POVs, getting me emotionally close to them. I especially enjoyed how the four characters begin to close ranks to get down to the bottom of the case, supporting each other despite the fact they were not really friends nor particularly close before it happened.When the story, or the situations surrounding the main character(s) spin out of control, multiple POV style works really well, giving readers enough glimpse of their emotional process and what is going on in their minds. It adds a lot of tension and intrigues, a sheer delight of reading. Karen M. McManus certainly pulled off in that regard.She’s also brilliant at messing with our emotions – getting our hopes up and then crushing them on the next second. I went through this agony especially in Bronwyn’s chapters. I personally Bronwyn and Cooper’s chapters are outstanding compared to the ones of the other two characters. I might be wrong, but I felt that way anyway.I appreciate this book ends on a light, hopeful note. The four characters have gone through their own nightmares and debacles, it has also made them stronger and be honest to themselves.This book left me with warm feelings, wondering what their future holds for them.Apart from the depictions of police procedural being pretty shoddy (I was like, ‘Come on, they couldn’t be this sloppy, could they?’), I am quite satisfied with this book.This is surprisingly emotionally charged, well-written book. I am glad I ended up liking this book in the end.Another lesson NOT to easily DNF a book; Story CAN pick up where you leave off.

Good read for ages 15 - 20.

Waiting to have the full series to start reading, very excited!!

I had very high hopes for this read. It did not live up to the hype for me. After the initial shock of Simon dying, I felt like the next 3/4 of the book was simply backstory. One piece of history after another about each of the characters. I’m reading on a kindle and the “BIG” plot twist, as I call it, came when I was 77% of the way through. The “reveal” by Janae came shortly after. Poor girl.The issue is that with all of the backstory and Bronwyn’s efforts to connect all the pieces, I already had a hunch so as bug as the twist was, it felt lacking. I felt the ending didn’t give enough of a wrap up of how each person came through and I almost walked away, but then I stumbled upon the Epilogue (I think that’s what “where are they now” is). I was glad to see how this story wrapped up for the kids. And it actually made me curious about the next book.

Read it for adult book club. A bit juvenile but very engaging.

Wonderful mystery and shipping was great. No damage to the book